


No need to worry (okay, maybe a little need to worry)

by Rosetylars



Series: Cricverse [25]
Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Head Injury, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Nightmares, concerned fiance tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26662426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: Steve receives a head knock at training.Tim is worried about him, halfway across the world.
Relationships: Tim Paine/Steve Smith
Series: Cricverse [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755766
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	No need to worry (okay, maybe a little need to worry)

**Author's Note:**

> England & Hobart, September 2020

Tim had just cleaned up after dinner, having enjoyed his first full day off in what felt like weeks. Hobart had turned on a beautifully sunny day, and he had let a lot of fresh air into the house, which always put him in a good mood. He had just settled on the couch when his phone rang.

It was Bails.

“Hey mate, how are ya?” Tim greeted.

“Timmy, Steve’s been hit in the head. I thought you’d want to know,” George told him without preamble.

Tim’s stomach dropped. “Is he okay?”

“We think so,” George replied, and Tim could hear the hesitation in his old friend’s voice.

“Did he black out?” Tim asked quickly.

“No, no,” George assured. “There’s just... you know the precautions that need to be taken around this kind of thing. Number two on the list I have here is ‘contact loved ones,’ so that’s what I’m doing,” George said, trying to lighten the mood.

Tim felt too sick to play along. “How is he? Because last time-“

“Timmy, I know it’s hard for you after seeing him concussed last year,” George said gently.

Tim sighed. “He just... he needs people to look out for him. I knew he wasn’t right by the look in his eyes, by the way he was speaking, he wasn’t himself, Georgie-“

George sighed. “Timmy,” he said softly. “I promise you, we’ll look after him. He says he’s fine and he doesn’t want the fuss, but he’s in his room-“

“Alone?” Tim cut in, horrified.

“The rest of the boys are still training,” George explained.

Tim sighed, running a hand back through his hair with distress. “Okay, I’m going to call him.”

George knew he couldn’t change Tim’s mind. “Alright, Timmy. Ring me any time if you’re worried,” he offered.

“Thanks, Bails,” Tim replied.

They hung up shortly after that, and Tim was already tapping on Steve’s contact in his favourites before he could think.

Tim just hoped his ringer wasn’t set at too loud a volume. He didn’t want to hurt Steve’s head any more.

“Timmy,” Steve answered.

“Baby,” Tim replied. “Bails told me about your head knock. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Tim,” Steve replied.

Tim wasn’t buying it. “Does your head hurt?”

“A little bit,” Steve admitted. “I’m just laying on the bed, grumpy because I know they won’t let me play tomorrow.”

Tim’s heart ached. “I’m sorry, baby,” he sighed. “Do you feel sick at all?”

“No, not at all,” Steve replied. “Just miss you.”

That hurt Tim’s heart even more. “I miss you more, darling,” he replied. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine, I promise,” Steve replied.

Tim wasn’t convinced, but he changed the subject, just happy to hear his fiancé’s voice.

***  
Steve had just sat down for lunch when Marnus offered to sleep on Steve’s couch, to make sure he was okay throughout the night. Steve was exasperated. He was grateful for the offer, but he knew Tim had put Marn up to it, meaning Tim was a lot more concerned than he had let on.

Steve’s stupid, protective, thoughtful fiancé.

“Marn, no, I promise I’m fine,” Steve assured, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He hated worrying Tim more than he needed to.

Marnus didn’t look convinced, but he must have known he couldn’t change Steve’s mind. He squeezed Steve’s shoulder, heading to sit down to eat his own lunch.

Steve texted Tim to tell him what Marnus had just offered.

“Might not be a bad idea,” Tim texted back, and Steve just knew he was worried.

“Timmy, I promise I’m fine,” Steve replied.

Halfway across the world, at home in Hobart, Tim went to sleep, sick to his stomach with worry.

***  
That night, Tim’s awful dreams took him back to that day, just over a year ago, when Steve had been hit in the head at Lord’s.

But this time, Steve didn’t get up, no matter how many times Tim called his name.

Tim woke up with tears in the corners of his eyes, and rushed to the bathroom to throw up.

He looked at the clock - it was just past 5am, so only 8pm for Steve.

He had to call him. Just to reassure himself that Steve was okay.

In the end, Steve stayed on the line, soothing Tim back to sleep. Tim’s heart ached that he couldn’t just wrap Steve up in his arms and hold him.

***  
Over the following days, Tim kept up a pretty busy text thread with JL. Steve always sounded okay on the phone, but Tim worried that he was downplaying the pain in his head.

JL kept Tim up to date when Steve passed his concussion tests, but there was one phone call that worried Tim more than the others.

Tim called Steve before he headed to sleep, as was their tradition.

“Hi, darling,” Tim greeted warmly. “How are you feeling?”

Steve was quiet for one moment too long, and Tim’s stomach dropped.

“I’m okay, Timmy,” Steve said, and Tim knew it was a lie.

“Steve-“

“I’m fine!”

Tim sighed, running a hand back through his hair, tense. “Baby, be honest with me. What are you feeling?”

Steve shifted to sit on the edge of his bed, and Tim heard the rustling through the phone. “I’ve been feeling a bit sick,” Steve admitted. “I’m hoping it’s just from something I ate...”

“Baby,” Tim breathed. “You might be concussed.”

Tim expected Steve’s protests before they came.

“But I passed the tests, Tim, I can’t just sit out the whole series-“

Tim hushed him gently. “Don’t worry about the matches. Let’s just take things a day at a time,” he suggested softly. “How’s the head pain?”

Steve sighed. “Not too bad, today,” he replied. “I’m gonna train tomorrow and see how I go.”

Tim wasn’t convinced that was a good idea, but he was engaged to the most stubborn man in the world. He knew he couldn’t change Steve’s mind.

Tim sighed. “Okay, baby. Please speak up if you start to feel sicker, though, okay? No need to be a hero, your health is so much more important.”

Steve sighed, and Tim just hoped his words got through.

“Okay, Timmy,” Steve replied, sounding tired. “Can I tell you what Mitch and Marcus did yesterday?”

***  
The following day, Tim had just finished a late dinner when he got a call. His heart leapt, thinking it was Steve, so he dried his hands on the tea towel on the oven rail and reached for his phone.

But it wasn’t Steve. It was Patty.

Pat didn’t normally ring him, especially this time of night.

“Patty? Is everything okay?”

Pat hesitated for a moment, and to Tim, it felt like an hour.

There was a familiar West Australian voice in the background, telling Pat to “Just tell him, bub.”

Pat sighed. “Steve isn’t well. He threw up after training.”

Tim groaned. “Fucking hell. I hate not being there for him.”

“Timmy, it’s not your fault,” Pat assured gently.

“He shouldn’t have been training!” Tim declared, frustrated. He shook his head, upset. “I hate this,” Tim admitted softly.

“I’m sorry, Timmy. I know it isn’t easy not being there when they’re hurting,” Pat said gently.

Tim was about to bite back about how Pat could possibly know how he was feeling, but he reminded himself that Pat and Mitch had been in a long distance relationship for almost nine years. He sighed. “I just want to take him to bed and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid until he feels better,” he admitted.

“I know,” Pat sympathised. “JL’s talking to him now, but it’s pretty much a sure thing that he’s been ruled out of the series.”

Tim’s heart broke. He was hurting for Steve, knowing how much it killed his fiancé to miss out on matches - but even worse, he was genuinely worried about his health.

Tim exhaled deeply. “Poor thing,” he said softly. “Is he okay? He’s not okay, is he,” Tim answered his own question.

Pat sighed. “It’s a tough situation for him,” he acknowledged. “We’re gonna have him over for a movie tonight and make sure he’s okay.”

It hurt Tim not to be there, but he appreciated that their friends were looking out for Steve while he was unwell.

“Thanks, Patty. Thanks to you, too, Mitchy,” Tim added, raising his voice slightly, knowing Mitch would be close enough to hear him through the phone.

The boys all said goodbye after that, and then Tim was alone once more, feeling frustratingly helpless.

***  
The hardest part for Steve wasn’t dealing with the pain, or the symptoms. It wasn’t even missing out on matches, despite how much it stung after such a long break. When JL took him for a walk around the outfield, the morning of the final ODI, he gave Steve one of the toughest choices he’d ever faced.

JL had a coffee in his hand - made for him by Adam, no doubt - but his usual playful expression had grown more serious with what he was about to say.

“Mate, I’m sure you know there are two flights out of here. All the domestic boys are heading to do their two weeks in Adelaide, and the IPL boys are going through intense protocols just to get to the UAE,” JL began.

Steve narrowed his eyes, unsure as to where JL was going with this.

“Mate… If you’re not feeling any better, or if you’re in doubt, we can easily get you to Adelaide. The medical staff will be able to look after you more closely. Plus, the Shield boys will be heading there a few weeks later... you’d be able to see him, Smudge,” JL explained softly.

Steve’s heart ached. It sounded so, so perfect. For half a moment, he let himself picture a hub situation in Adelaide, with Tim, and the idea was lovely. But, he couldn’t turn his back on the IPL. He was captain, and there was so much riding on his return to play after more than two years.

“God, it’d be nice,” Steve admitted, before shaking his head, resigned. “I couldn’t. The contract, the commitment... I can’t just ignore all of that,” he sighed. “I’m going to be okay.”

JL stopped walking so he could meet Steve’s eyes. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay, though? They might not be as cautious as we are, they want you to play...” he trailed off, leaving his insinuation hanging in the air.

Steve nodded. He knew what JL was getting at. It would be so easy to call it quits, to head to Adelaide and see Tim a few weeks after that… but he knew what he’d signed up for before he flew over, too. He was going to finish what he started.

“I’ll be okay for the IPL,” Steve assured. “And then we’re gonna have a great home summer.”

JL nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Smithy. Just remember, your health is more important than any match. If you aren’t right, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

Steve swallowed, nodding. JL really cared. “I’m gonna be okay. But if I’m not, I’ll be honest.”

JL seemed comfortable with that. He nodded, squeezing Steve’s shoulder once more before releasing him.

***  
It was a tough decision, but in the end, Steve knew it was the right one. When he eventually got back home, it was going to be the beginning of a whole Test summer with Tim, and after that, they would finally be getting married. It was all going to happen before he knew it. Until then, they would settle for annoying their teammates by calling and texting at all hours.


End file.
